U.S. patent application number 11/578246 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for bucket transfer apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to YUYAMA MFG. CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Takashi Itou, Naoki Koike, Hiroyuki Koshio, Tatsuaki Kunimoto.
Application Number | 20070212202 11/578246 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35149890 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070212202 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Koike; Naoki ; et
al. |
September 13, 2007 |
Bucket Transfer Apparatus
Abstract
A bucket carrier for carrying buckets (2) to store them in each
storage shelf of a cart (4), the bucket carrier comprising a
holding means (20) for holding buckets (2), and carrier means (28)
for carrying the buckets (2) held by the holding means (20) to each
storage shelf (49) of the cart (4). The arrangement is such that
the holding means (20) and a transfer means (49) are
drive-controlled so that the buckets (2) are stored in the storage
shelves (49) obliquely from above. Thereby, the buckets (2) can be
automatically stored in the cart (4)
Inventors: |
Koike; Naoki; (Toyonaka-shi,
JP) ; Koshio; Hiroyuki; (Toyonaka-shi, JP) ;
Kunimoto; Tatsuaki; (Toyonaka-shi, JP) ; Itou;
Takashi; (Toyonaka-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACK, L.L.P.
2033 K STREET N. W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20006-1021
US
|
Assignee: |
YUYAMA MFG. CO., LTD.
3-1, MEISHINGUCHI 3-CHOME TOYONAKA-SHI
OSAKA
JP
561-0841
|
Family ID: |
35149890 |
Appl. No.: |
11/578246 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
April 12, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP04/05209 |
371 Date: |
October 12, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/266 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 65/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
414/266 |
International
Class: |
B65G 1/04 20060101
B65G001/04 |
Claims
1-5. (canceled)
6. A bucket transfer apparatus for transferring buckets and storing
them in respective storage racks of a cart, the device comprising:
a holding means for holding the buckets, and a transfer means for
transferring the buckets held by the holding means to the
respective storage racks of the cart, wherein the holding means
includes opening/closing arms for closing while lifting to hold the
bucket from both sides and opening while descending to release the
bucket, and push-out portions for pushing the bucket held by the
opening/closing arms out in a horizontal direction, wherein when
pushing the bucket out by the push-out portions, a rear wall of the
bucket further downward than a brim portion on its rear end side is
pushed, and when a front end of the bucket is located above a lower
edge portion of the storage rack on an intrusion side, the
opening/closing arms are opened while descending to move the bucket
down while releasing the holding condition of the bucket, whereby
the buckets are stored from obliquely above with respect to the
storage racks.
7. The bucket transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further
comprising: an identification card attached to an outer surface of
the bucket, a turning means for turning the bucket, and reading
means for reading the identification card of the bucket, wherein
the turning means is driven and controlled so as to allow the
identification card to be read by the reading means, and the bucket
is transferred to the cart by the transfer means so that the
identification card is located on a same surface side.
8. The bucket transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
transfer means includes a bucket detecting means for detecting
presence/absence of a bucket in the storage rack, and the transfer
means is driven and controlled based on a detection signal of the
bucket detecting means to transfer the bucket to an empty storage
rack.
9. The bucket transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
cart includes a fixing means for fixing the buckets stored in the
storage rack, the device comprises a non-fixed condition detecting
means for detecting a non-fixed condition by the fixing means, and
the bucket is transferred by the transfer means based on the
detection signal of the non-fixed condition detecting means.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a bucket transfer
apparatus.
[0002] 1. Background Art
[0003] When transferring medications from a pharmacy department,
medications for one patient are conventionally placed into a bucket
and are automatically transferred to a nurse station using a
transfer apparatus (see, for instance, Japanese Laid-Open Patent
Publication No. 8-310625). However, since it is ineffective to
individually transfer those buckets from the nurse station to
respective patient's rooms, a plurality of buckets are once stored
in a cart whereupon they are collectively transferred.
[0004] However, it is extremely troublesome to store all the many
buckets onto the cart. Moreover, due to employment of an
arrangement of preventing the stored buckets from falling off
during transfer with the cart, there is a drawback that they are
hard to be stored. It has thus been longed for automatic storage of
buckets to carts.
[0005] 2. Disclosure of the Invention
[0006] The present invention thus aims to provide a bucket transfer
apparatus capable of automatically storing buckets into a cart.
[0007] As a means for solving the problem, the present invention
provides a bucket transfer apparatus for transferring buckets and
storing them in respective storage racks of a cart, the device
including:
[0008] a holding means for holding the buckets, and
[0009] a transfer means for transferring the buckets held by the
holding means to the respective storage racks of the cart,
[0010] wherein the holding means and the transfer means are driven
and controlled such that the buckets are stored from obliquely
above with respect to the storage racks.
[0011] A conventional storage rack arranged to prevent falling off
of buckets during transfer was provided with projections on both
ends of guiding grooves of the racks so that it was hard to store
the buckets from directions parallel to the racks. According to the
arrangement of the present invention, since buckets are stored from
obliquely above, it is possible to smoothly store the buckets also
to such racks.
[0012] It is preferable that the holding means includes
opening/closing arms for closing while lifting to hold a bucket
from both sides and opening while descending to release the bucket,
and push-out portions for pushing the bucket held by the
opening/closing arms out in a horizontal direction,
[0013] wherein when pushing the bucket out by the push-out
portions, a rear wall of the bucket further downward than a brim
portion on its rear end side is pushed, and when a front end of the
bucket is located above a lower edge portion of the storage rack on
an intrusion side, the opening/closing arms are opened while
descending for moving the bucket down while releasing the holding
condition of the bucket. Thus, it is possible to smoothly store the
bucket into a storage rack of the cart despite of a simple
arrangement.
[0014] It is further preferable that the device includes an
identification card attached to an outer surface of the bucket,
[0015] a turning means for turning the bucket, and
[0016] reading means for reading the identification card of the
bucket,
[0017] wherein the turning means is driven and controlled so as to
allow the identification card to be read by the reading means, and
the bucket is transferred to the cart by the transfer means so that
identification card is located on the same surface side. Thus, it
is possible to reliably and easily read the identification card
irrespective of the direction of the bucket.
[0018] It is preferable that the transfer means includes a bucket
detecting means for detecting presence/absence of a bucket in the
storage rack, wherein the transfer means is driven and controlled
based on a detection signal of the bucket detecting means for
transferring the bucket to an empty storage rack.
[0019] It is preferable that the cart includes fixing means for
fixing the buckets stored in the storage rack, that the device
includes a non-fixed condition detecting means for detecting a
non-fixed condition by the fixing means, and that the bucket is
transferred by the transfer means based on the detection signal of
the non-fixed condition detecting means.
[0020] According to the present invention, since buckets can be
stored from obliquely above with respect to the storage rack, it is
possible to achieve the effect of performing storage operations
automatically and smoothly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of the bucket transfer apparatus
according to the present embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a left-hand side view of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 4A is a side view showing a bucket on its way of being
stored into a cart, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the bucket;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a front view of a holding member;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG.
5;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an identification card;
and
[0028] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C are side views showing operations of
storing the bucket to the cart in sequential form.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0029] An embodiment of the present invention will be explained in
accordance with the accompanying drawings.
[0030] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a bucket transfer apparatus 1 according to
the present embodiment. This transfer apparatus 1 includes a
direction-changing portion 3 for changing directions of buckets 2,
and a transfer portion 5 for transferring the buckets 2 to a cart
4.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the bucket 2 has a box-like
shape with an open top, and a brim portion 6 is formed at an
aperture edge thereof. Engaging concaves 7 are respectively formed
on both side portions atop of the brim portion 6 by providing
projections on two spots, respectively. An identification card 8 is
attachable/detachable on an end surface of the bucket 2. The
identification card 8 may be a leuco-type or thermochromic-type
rewritable card capable of being rewritten upon heating to a
specified temperature. The identification card 8 bears pieces of
patient information as shown in FIG. 7.
[0032] The direction-changing portion 3 is connected to a
medication supplying device 9 for supplying medications to the
bucket 2. In the medication supplying device 9, medications
prescribed to each patient in accordance with prescription
information are sequentially stored in the buckets 2 and are
transferred to the direction-changing portion 3.
[0033] The direction-changing portion 3 includes a transfer belt 10
and a turn table 11 for changing the direction of the bucket 2. As
shown in FIG. 3, the transfer belt 10 is arranged such that belts
14 are respectively arranged around pulleys 13 provided at rotating
axes 12 at a predetermined distance wherein one of the rotating
axes 12 is rotated by drive of a motor 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the
turn table 11 is disposed between both belts 14 and is provided in
a freely elevating and rotating manner. By lifting and turning the
bucket 2 transferred by the transfer belt 10, the identification
card 8 of the bucket 2 is made to face in the same direction. A
first bucket detecting sensor 16a and a second bucket detecting
sensor 16b are provided proximate of the turn table 11. The first
bucket detecting sensor 16a is used for detecting that a bucket 2
is approaching the turn table 11 and for reducing the transfer
speed of the transfer belt 10. The second bucket detecting sensor
16b is used for detecting that the bucket 2 has been transferred to
a turning position upward of the turn table 11 and for terminating
transfer by the transfer belt 10. A stopper 17 for forcibly
terminating the bucket 2 at the turning position is provided
proximate of the turn table 11 (downstream side of the transfer
direction) in a freely elevating manner.
[0034] Card detecting sensors 18 for detecting an identification
card 8 attached to the bucket 2 are provided laterally of the turn
table 11. In this embodiment, it is possible to attach the
identification card 8 to total four spots, namely two spots on both
end surfaces of the bucket 2, respectively. Therefore, by providing
the card detecting sensors 18 on two spots and by turning the turn
table 11 by 180 degrees in case the bucket 2 cannot be detected,
the device is arranged such that the identification card 8 can be
detected regardless of the location thereof.
[0035] A plurality of transfer rollers 100 are provided on a
downstream side of the stopper 17 so that the bucket 2 can be
transferred further downstream side from the turning position. A
stopper 101 is provided in a freely elevating manner on the
downstream side of the turning position so that the bucket 2 can be
forcibly terminated at a transfer preparation position. A rewrite
device 19 is provided laterally of the stopper 101 so that pieces
of information written on the identification card 8 can be
rewritten in accordance with pieces of information written on
prescriptions in a condition in which the bucket 2 is transferred
to the transfer preparation position (in this embodiment, patient
information are rewritten).
[0036] The transfer portion 5 is provided with a holding member 20
provided to be freely movable vertically and laterally within a
transfer unit. A magnet sensor 22 for positioning and detecting the
cart 4 (which will be discussed later in details) and a lever
detecting sensor 23 for detecting a rotating position of a lever 57
provided at the cart 4 are provided on a front surface side of a
frame body 21 forming the transfer unit.
[0037] The transfer unit is provided, on both sides of its rear
surface, with guiding axes 24 extending in a vertical direction,
belts 25, elevating rails 26, and guiding guides 27 in this order
from the rear surface side. Counter weights 24a are provided along
the guiding axes 24 in a freely elevating manner, and elevating
members 28 are provided along the elevating rails 26 in a freely
elevating manner. The belts 25 are connected to the guiding axes 24
and the elevating members 28 and are driven through a motor for
elevation (not shown) for elevating the elevating members 28. Cable
chains 29 are guided along the guiding guides 28 for protecting
electric wires. Supporting arms 31 for performing reciprocating
movements in horizontal directions upon being driven by a motor for
horizontal movement 30 are provided at the elevating members 28.
The holding members 20 are provided at tip ends of the supporting
arms 31.
[0038] The holding members 20 are arranged such that holding pieces
33 are provided at lower end portions of a pair of opening/closing
arms 32 and the bucket 2 can be held from both sides upon opening
and closing these pieces. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the
opening/closing arms 32 perform elevating and opening/closing
movements upon guiding both sides thereof through guiding plates
34. More particularly, guiding rollers 35 are provided on both side
portions of the opening/closing arms 32 arranged at a specified
distance. The guiding plates 34 are provided with guiding grooves
36 on which the guiding rollers 35 rotate. Each guiding groove 36
includes a vertical portion 37a on an upper side and a sloped
portion 37b on a lower side. When both guide rollers 35 are located
at the vertical portions 37a, they are at a holding position in
which the holding pieces 33 are closest with respect to each other,
and with the lower guide rollers 35 moving closer to the sloped
portions 37b, the holding pieces 33 descend to gradually separate
from each other. The opening/closing arms 32 are connected at their
upper end portions to a supporting table 38 in a freely rotating
manner. The supporting table 38 is provided in a freely elevating
manner along axis portions 39 erected at tip ends of the supporting
arms 31 at a predetermined distance. A rack 40 is formed on the
supporting table 38 and a pinion 42 fixed to a rotating axis of a
motor 41 for opening/closing movements is in mesh therewith.
Accordingly, when the motor 41 for opening/closing movements is
driven, the supporting table 38 is elevated through the pinion 42
and the rack 40, and with the guiding rollers 35 rolling along the
guide grooves 36, the opening/closing arms perform opening/closing
movements while performing elevating movements.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, push-out portion supporting arms 43a are
provided downward of the supporting arms 31 and push-out members 43
for performing reciprocating movements in a longitudinal direction
are provided downward of the push-out portion supporting arms 43a.
The push-out members 43 are coupled to belts 45 wound around
pulleys 44 provided on both ends of the push-out portion supporting
arms 43a and perform reciprocating movements in a longitudinal
direction upon rotating one of the pulleys 44 through a motor 46 of
push-out. Rotation of the pulleys 44 is detected by an encoder 47,
and moving positions of the push-out members 43 are controlled
based on results of detection thereof. The push-out members 43 move
forward up to proximate of end surfaces of the bucket 2 held by the
holding pieces 33 of the opening/closing arms 32, and are capable
of supporting the brim portion 6 of the bucket 2 at their upper
edge portions. The push-out members 43 push the bucket 2 out to the
cart 4 side. As shown in FIG. 5, the push-out supporting arms 43a
are provided with bucket. presence/absence detecting sensors 48 at
their tip ends so that presence/absence of buckets 2 stored in the
cart 4 can be detected by detecting an identification card 8
attached to the buckets 2.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the cart 4 is a frame-like body
including a plurality of storage racks 49 arranged vertically and
horizontally, wherein a lower end portion of the cart is provided
with casters 50 at four corners thereof and the cart is freely
movable upon gripping a grip 51 provided at an upper portion
thereof. As shown in FIG. 4A, the storage racks 49 are arranged
such they can support the brim portions 6 of the buckets 2 through
guiding grooves 52 form on both sides thereof.
[0041] Projections 53 are formed on both ends of lower edge
portions 52a forming the guiding grooves 52. By guiding both ends
of a brim portion 6 of a bucket 2 mounted into the storage rack 49
through the projections 53, it is possible to stabilize the mounted
condition of the bucket 2 in the storage rack 49. Relief concaves
54 are formed inside of the respective projections 53.
[0042] Projections 55 are respectively formed on both ends of upper
edge portions 52b forming the guide grooves 52 at positions
corresponding to the relief concaves 54 of the lower edge portions.
It is possible to stabilize the holding condition of the bucket 2
in the storage rack 49 through the projections 55 and the
projections 53. Pressing portions 56 capable of performing
elevating movements are provided centrally of the upper edge
portions 52b. The pressing portions 56 of the respective storage
racks 49 are uniformly lifted to an unlocked position through a rod
58 upon rotating the lever 57 as shown in FIG. 3, and are descended
to a locked position. At the descended lock position, the pressing
portions engage engaging concave portions 7 formed on top central
portions of the brim portions 6 of the buckets 2 mounted on the
respective storage racks 49 for holding the buckets 2 to be
unmovable. The rotated position of the lever 57, that is, the
locked position facing vertically downward is detected by the lever
detecting sensor 23 provided at the transfer portion 5, and the
transfer portion 5 is drivable only when the lever is in the
unlocked position.
[0043] Next, operations of the bucket transfer apparatus 1 of the
above structure will be explained.
[0044] The cart 4 is moved to dispose the same besides the transfer
portion 5. The cart 4 is aspired and positioned by the magnet
sensor 22 provided at the transfer portion 5. When the cart 4 is
detected by the magnet sensor 22 and when it is detected by the
lever detecting sensor 23 that the lever 57 is at the unlocked
position, supply of medications to the buckets 2 is started per
units of patients based on pieces of prescription information sent
to the medication supplying device 9. Buckets 2 supplied with
medications for one patient are sequentially transferred from the
medication supplying device 9 to the direction-changing portion
3.
[0045] In the direction-changing portion 3, the stopper 17 is
lifted and the transfer belt 10 is driven. The transfer belt 10 is
then reduced in speed based on a detection signal of the first
bucket detecting sensor 16a and upon terminating the transfer belt
10 based on a detection signal of the second bucket detecting
sensor 16b, the bucket 2 is positioned smoothly on the turn table
11. Next, upon lifting the turn table 11 and holding the bucket 2
up, it is turned by 90 degrees for detecting an identification card
8 attached to the bucket 2 by means of the card detecting sensors
18. When no identification card 8 can be detected, the turn table
11 is turned by 180 degrees. In this manner, when the bucket 2 is
turned such that the identification card 8 is positioned to the
card detecting sensors 18 side, the turn table 11 and the stopper
17 are descended for restarting driving of the transfer belt 10 and
driving of the transfer rollers 100 is started. The bucket 2 is
again terminated by the stopper 101, and upon rewriting contents of
the identification card 8 by the rewrite device 19 based on pieces
of prescription information, the bucket 2 is further transferred to
the transfer portion 5.
[0046] In the transfer portion 5, the elevating members 28 are
descended and the supporting arms 31 moved towards the
direction-changing portion 3 so as to move the holding members 20
towards the transferred bucket 2. At this time, the motor for
elevating movements is driven for releasing the opening/closing arm
32 for leaving the holding pieces 33 separated. When the holding
members 20 move to a position at which they are capable of holding
the bucket 2, the motor for elevating movements is driven for
holding the bucket 2 from both sides by means of the holding pieces
33, and brim portions 6 on both sides are mounted on the holding
pieces 33. At this time, the elevating members 28 are lifted and
the supporting arms 31 are moved horizontally for moving the bucket
2 to a storage rack 49 located on one end side of a topmost stage
of the cart 4. At this time, the bucket presence/absence detecting
sensor 48 detects whether a bucket 2 is stored in this storage rack
49 or not. When there is not, the bucket 2 is stored in this
storage rack 49, and when there is, the bucket 2 is stored in an
adjoining storage rack 49. The same operations are repeated until
storage to all storage racks 49 of the topmost stage is completed,
and storage to lower storage racks 49 is sequentially performed. In
this manner, since buckets 2 are stored upon detecting through the
bucket presence/absence detecting sensor 48 whether buckets 2 are
stored in the respective storage racks 49 of the cart 4 or not, it
is possible to automatically select an empty storage rack 49 and
perform storage. Accordingly, even if a stored bucket 2 is being
delivered to a patient in advance for emergency purposes or the
like during storage operations of the buckets 3 into the cart 4,
the next bucket 2 can be automatically stored into the empty space
so that all storage racks 49 can be utilized without loss.
[0047] When performing storage of the buckets 2 to the storage
racks 49, the supporting arms 31 are moved such that the brim
portion 6 of the buckets 2 becomes higher than the lower edge
portions 52a of the guide grooves 52 of the storage racks 49 as
shown in FIG. 8A. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the push-out members
43 are moved forward for pressing a rear wall of the bucket 2 to
move the bucket 2 towards the cart 4 side. With this arrangement,
the brim portion 6 on the front end side of the bucket 2 enters the
storage rack 49 and the front end portion is positioned upon moving
across the projections 53 on the intrusion side. At this time, the
motor for opening/closing movements 41 is driven for releasing the
opening/closing arms 32. In the releasing operations of the
opening/closing arm 32 as shown in FIG. 6, the guide rollers 35 on
the lower side are slid from the vertical portions 37a of the
guiding grooves 36 towards the sloped portions 37b whereby the
holding pieces 33 descend while gradually separating. Accordingly,
when the bucket 2 is released from the condition in which it is
held by the holding pieces 33 as shown in FIG. 8C, the front ends
of the push-out members 43 engage the brim portion 6 at the rear
end side of the bucket 2 such that the brim portion 6 on the front
end side of the bucket 2 are mounted to the lower edge portions 52a
of the guiding grooves 52, and the bucket 2 itself inclines in a
condition in which its front end is dropping. Therefore, when the
push-out members 43 are further moved forward, the bucket 2 will be
smoothly stored within the storage rack 49 without interfering the
projections 53 as shown in FIG. 4A. Further, since relief concaves
54 are formed at positions opposing the projections 55, the bucket
2 will not interfere with the projections 55, either. When the
push-out members 43 are retracted upon completion of storage, it is
possible to position the bucket 2 within the storage rack 49 in a
stable condition by means of the projections 53, 55.
* * * * *